The Fun CPA Podcast

Yuri Kapilovich, CPA
  • 5.0 (10)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Biweekly

It is no secret that the accounting profession needs a fresh perspective after years of status quo.The Fun CPA podcast aims to bring exactly that. Fun, refreshing and unique perspective on a profession that needs it the most. The conversations I will bring to you will bring you and your firm value. We discuss pricing, firm management, technology, social media and mental health. The guests on the show range from small accounting firm owners to big firm partners to incredible mental health coaches to our profession and much much more. Give it a listen, the fresh perspective you been waiting on is here!

  1. 3d ago

    He Launched A Firm With No Public Accounting Experience

    You may never feel completely ready to start your own firm. Nick Vernon joins Yuri to share how he left a successful career as a controller and launched a tax firm without any public accounting experience. Nick explains how he built confidence one return at a time, learned to separate a healthy challenge from work he wasn’t prepared to handle, and used savings and contract work to make the transition less risky. They also break down the technology behind Nick’s solo firm, including TaxDome, StanfordTax, Drake, and Claude. Nick shares how these tools help him collect documents, research tax questions, communicate with clients, and operate without an administrative employee. The conversation also explores the tradeoffs between scaling and staying small, why freedom requires discipline, and how to build a firm around the life you actually want.   Episode Highlights:   0:00 - Using AI and automation in a tax firm 1:07 - Meet Nick Vernon 3:10 - Starting a firm without public accounting experience 5:45 - Learning tax without knowing every rule 7:16 - Knowing which clients and returns to decline 11:30 - What gave Nick the confidence to leave his job 16:04 - Deciding when it was finally time to quit 18:53 - Using contract work to ease the transition 20:40 - Nick’s technology stack 24:22 - TaxDome versus StanfordTax organizers 34:01 - Walking away from the golden handcuffs 35:00 - Creating a financial runway before leaving 36:44 - Why freedom requires structure and discipline 39:58 - Competing with bad tax advice online 45:38 - Scaling a firm versus staying intentionally small 50:14 - Building the firm you actually want 53:22 - How networking can shape your business 54:50 - Where to connect with Nick 56:18 - Closing thoughts  SPONSORS Today's episode is sponsored by StanfordTax: Helping you manage tax document collection in the smoothest way possible.  Go check them out: https://stanfordtax.com/     ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH   Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.    Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.    CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/   Website: https://thefuncpa.beehiiv.com/     CONNECT WITH NICHOLAS VERNON   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-vernon-cpa-mba-0281b734/

    He Launched A Firm With No Public Accounting Experience

  2. Sep 23

    Triple The Revenue With This CAS Unlock

    Marit Burmood joins Yuri to talk about what it really takes to build an accounting firm that fits your life instead of taking it over. After years of juggling tax work, kids, and a growing client list, Marit realized she was doing far more for clients than she was actually getting paid for. Once she learned how to package that value, her firm went from earning roughly $50,000 to $60,000 a year to bringing in at least $10,000 a month. She and Yuri talk about pricing the knowledge accountants tend to give away for free, creating recurring revenue, and recognizing when a client is no longer worth the stress. They also share how they use TaxDome, what they have learned from building personal brands online, and why growing a successful firm does not have to mean building a massive one.   Episode Highlights:   0:00 - Intro 1:00 - Meet Marit Burmood 5:04 - How different generations communicate with their accountants 11:59 - The decision that transformed Marit’s firm 16:05 - Pricing the knowledge accountants give away for free 19:36 - What CAS services actually include 24:50 - Finding the clients who need more than tax preparation 31:36 - Packaging tax prep into multiple service tiers 34:10 - Using TaxDome to automate workflows and centralize communication 38:21 - Building a personal brand as an accountant 47:26 - What is the actual goal of social media? 54:28 - Why accountants do not need a huge firm or online following 1:00:16 - Marit’s book, Think Before You S Corp 1:02:31 - Final advice and where to connect with Marit    SPONSOR Today's episode is sponsored by TaxDome Check them out and book a demo: https://taxdome.com/   ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH   Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.    Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.    CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/   Website: https://thefuncpa.beehiiv.com/     CONNECT WITH MARIT BURMOOD   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marit-burmood/   Website: https://www.maritburmoodcpa.com/

    Triple The Revenue With This CAS Unlock

  3. Sep 16

    Here Is What He Learned From 1000+ Firm Owners

    After working with over 1,000 accounting firms, from solo practices to firms generating over $100 million, Petar Iliev has a pretty clear view of what separates firms that stay dependent on the owner from those that can actually scale.  Petar joins Yuri to talk about the shift from running a practice to building a business. What is the “standard”? What should you know, or prioritize?  They also get into how Petar would build an accounting firm from scratch, why he would choose a specific niche, and how he would handle everything from finding leads to onboarding and retaining clients.  Along the way, Petar shares some practical ideas around pricing, communication, automation, and AI that firm owners can start applying without completely rebuilding their businesses.    Episode Highlights:    0:00 - How TaxDome identifies high-intent leads  0:50 - Meet Petar Iliev  3:14 - Electronic music and European work culture  9:00 - What successful accounting firms do differently  14:38 - Building a business that can run without you  20:40 - How Petar would build an accounting firm  28:20 - Niche marketing, industry events, and SEO  30:12 - Using lead scoring to find serious prospects  36:46 - Why speed wins accounting clients  40:30 - How successful firms use AI and automation  46:25 - Creating a better client experience  53:14 - Retention, pricing, and service packages  1:02:00 - Turning feedback into reviews and referrals  1:06:40 - Building a client status tracker with AI  1:07:38 - Balancing business and Brazilian jiu-jitsu      ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH    Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.    Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.    CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/    Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/      CONNECT WITH PETAR ILIEV    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/p-iliev/    Website: https://taxdome.com/

    Here Is What He Learned From 1000+ Firm Owners

  4. Sep 10

    Jasmine DiLucci - Combatting Tax Hacks While Running Her Firm

    Bad tax advice has never been easier to find. Jasmine DiLucci is a tax attorney, CPA, and enrolled agent who has built a large online following by calling out illegal strategies and the people selling them. She joins Yuri to talk about why unqualified influencers gain so much credibility online, why disproving their claims takes far more work than making them, and what people misunderstand about the tax strategies used by the wealthy. Jasmine also shares how she took over her parents’ firm, fixed its billing and client problems, and grew it into a team of 45 people. They get into pricing, firing bad clients, building the right team, and how educational content helped Jasmine establish trust with better clients. The wealthy still plan around taxes. They just understand that saving money is rarely worth risking the entire business.   Episode Highlights:   0:00 - Introduction 0:53 - Meet Jasmine DiLucci 2:42 - Becoming a tax professional in high school 4:28 - Why bad tax advice wins online 9:08 - Growing up in a family tax firm 14:07 - Taking over and fixing her parents’ firm 17:36 - Why accountants struggle to communicate their value 19:07 - How better clients eliminate most firm problems 27:20 - Growing the firm to a team of 45 28:40 - Jasmine’s accounting firm technology 31:55 - How Jasmine started creating tax videos 36:00 - Managing the demands of social media 40:07 - Creating a roadmap for legal tax planning 43:31 - The real risk behind viral tax strategies 45:48 - How wealthy people make tax decisions 49:32 - Closing thoughts and where to find Jasmine      ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH   Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.    Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.    CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/   Newsletter: https://thefuncpa.beehiiv.com/   Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/     CONNECT WITH JASMINE DILUCCI   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@taxleverage   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taxleverage/   Website: https://jasminedilucci.com/

    Jasmine DiLucci - Combatting Tax Hacks While Running Her Firm

  5. Sep 2

    How He Runs His 6 Figure Solo Firm

    A $500,000 firm with employees may not leave its owner much better off than a $300,000 solo practice.   Aaron Zimmerman joins Yuri to talk honestly about that tradeoff and the kind of accounting firm he actually wants to build. After leaving his job and launching Brickhouse CPAs, Aaron grew the firm to roughly 75 clients and 120 tax returns while developing a niche serving real estate investors.   Rather than chasing headcount or revenue for its own sake, Aaron has focused on strong pricing, better-fit clients, and enough flexibility to spend time with his family. He shares how he found his first clients, why he started with three-tiered pricing, and how a solid financial foundation gave him the freedom to turn down work that didn’t make sense.   Aaron and Yuri also compare their technology, workflows, and client experience before digging into the bigger question facing many firm owners: once the business provides a great income and lifestyle, what exactly are you scaling toward?   Episode Highlights:   0:00 - Introduction 0:41 - Meet Aaron Zimmerman 2:13 - The reality of owning a CPA firm 4:10 - Building a niche around real estate investors 6:21 - Aaron’s path from employee to firm owner 9:18 - Cutting through information overload and technology choices 11:30 - Preparing financially to launch a firm 15:36 - Finding clients through local real estate communities 20:48 - Raising prices as the firm approaches capacity 22:49 - The tradeoffs of hiring and scaling 28:22 - Projecting $250,000 to $300,000 in revenue 30:27 - Reducing administrative work before tax season 31:39 - Aaron’s accounting technology stack 40:51 - Managing workflows and creating a better client experience 43:55 - Aaron’s four-and-a-half-month honeymoon 47:16 - Controlling the workload instead of chasing more revenue 49:00 - Building a firm without building a large company 51:43 - Final advice and where to connect with Aaron    SPONSORS Today' episode is sponsored by Stanford Tax: Helping you manage tax document collection in the smoothest way possible. Aaron does a deeper dive on how he uses Stanford Tax in his firm around 31 minute marker.  Go check them out: https://stanfordtax.com/ ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH   Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.    Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.    CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/   Newsletter: https://thefuncpa.beehiiv.com/   CONNECT WITH AARON ZIMMERMAN   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aarondzimmerman/   Website: https://www.brickhousecpas.com/

    How He Runs His 6 Figure Solo Firm

  6. Aug 19

    From Family Business To A Modern Firm

    Mike Libbey joined his father’s accounting firm straight out of college, becoming its first employee and working alongside him from the family living room. Today, Mike is a partner and COO at YBL, a modern virtual firm with approximately 30 employees and $3.75 million in annual revenue. Mike shares how the firm grew, why hiring an operations manager changed what he believed was possible, and how he gradually removed himself from client work to focus on strategy, technology, and growth. He also explains why firm owners should document their processes before they need to hire, even if that means simply turning on Loom and talking through the work as they do it. The conversation also looks at AI’s rapidly expanding role in accounting. After building roughly 40 internal and client-facing apps, Mike believes the profession’s future is not simply about producing tax returns faster. It is about using technology to become a more deeply integrated financial partner while continuing to provide the judgment and peace of mind clients actually value.   Episode Highlights:   0:00 - Introduction 0:44 - Meet Mike Libbey 2:16 - Joining his father’s accounting firm 5:16 - Growing up around the accounting grind 10:50 - From two people to a 30-person firm 13:13 - Building a modern firm without the traditional CPA path 18:17 - Early hiring mistakes and the importance of operations 24:01 - How to document, delegate, and escape client work 31:11 - Knowing when the firm can afford its next hire 35:05 - Revenue, profit, and defining the firm you actually want 39:25 - Creating space to experiment with AI 41:43 - Building useful apps without knowing how to code 46:38 - What AI means for the future of accounting 52:02 - The changing role of entry-level accountants 55:12 - Protecting work-life balance while running the firm 58:15 - Building a public presence through YouTube and social media 1:02:05 - Final thoughts on making accounting more fun      ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH   Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.    Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.    CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/   Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/     CONNECT WITH MIKE LIBBEY   LinkedIn: Mike Libbey | LinkedIn    Website: https://mikelibbey.ybl.ca/

    From Family Business To A Modern Firm

  7. Aug 13

    How Financial Planners and Accountants Work Together

    More money does not automatically create peace of mind. Without a healthy relationship with money, greater wealth can simply magnify the same anxiety, guilt, and uncertainty that were already there.  Matt Fizell, CFP® and founder of Harmony Wealth, joins Yuri to explore the human side of financial planning. Matt shares how early experiences shape the way people save, spend, and invest, and why even highly successful clients can struggle to enjoy what they have built. The real goal is not always maximizing the number. Sometimes it is understanding what “enough” looks like and creating a plan that gives someone permission to live.  The conversation also turns to the relationship between financial planners and CPAs. Matt and Yuri discuss how better communication, clearer expectations, and thoughtful pricing can create stronger partnerships for everyone involved. They also examine what it means to build a firm intentionally, work with the right clients, and charge enough to make the work sustainable.    Episode Highlights:    0:00 - Why more money does not eliminate financial anxiety  0:55 - Meet Matt Fizell of Harmony Wealth  2:18 - Leaving commission-based insurance for fee-only planning  6:39 - How wealth magnifies your relationship with money  11:57 - When disciplined savers struggle to enjoy their success  15:25 - Financial planning beyond investments  20:44 - Bitcoin, speculation, and investment regret  25:58 - Building a comprehensive financial plan  30:28 - Better partnerships between CPAs and financial planners  38:22 - Advisory work, communication, and fair compensation  43:36 - Setting minimum fees and qualifying referrals  45:14 - Designing the firm and client base you actually want  52:14 - The problem with complicated pricing models  55:43 - Wake surfing with country singer Jake Owen  59:01 - The future of CPA and financial planner collaboration      ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH    Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.    Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.    CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/    Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/      CONNECT WITH MATT FIZELL    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-fizell-0606134a/    Website: https://planwithharmony.com/

    How Financial Planners and Accountants Work Together

  8. Jul 29

    Dan Pinkous - CEO of Truss (A Tool For Document Collection)

    In this episode of The Fun CPA Podcast, Yuri sits down with Daniel Pinkous, founder and CEO of Truss, for a conversation about the messy, frustrating reality of tax workflow. They talk about why client document collection still creates so much friction for CPA firms, how Truss is trying to make that process easier, and why the best software should remove headaches instead of creating another system to manage. Daniel also shares the story behind building Truss, from entering the accounting space as an outsider to bootstrapping the company through some very real founder pressure. It’s a conversation about better systems, better client experiences, and building something that actually solves the problems firm owners deal with every day. Join my new newsletter here:  https://thefuncpa.beehiiv.com/ Learn about Truss here: https://gettruss.link/thefuncpa Episode Highlights:   0:00 - Intro 1:03 - Meet Daniel Pinkous and Truss 2:52 - How Daniel found the CPA workflow problem 5:15 - What Truss does for tax firms 7:04 - Why client intake breaks down every year 13:41 - Replacing the traditional portal experience 16:30 - Using AI to clean up document collection 20:50 - Smarter questionnaires and client checklists 25:19 - Automating workpapers and tax organization 30:00 - Prep partnerships and outsourcing options 36:23 - Max AI, transcripts, and reducing missed items 41:02 - Making return delivery easier for clients 44:10 - Building Truss without outside funding 49:40 - The hard moments of bootstrapping 53:14 - Faith, support, and staying grounded 57:36 - Where to find Daniel and Truss    ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH   Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.    Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.    CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/   Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/     CONNECT WITH DANIEL PINKOUS   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-p376152/   Website: https://gettruss.link/thefuncpa

    Dan Pinkous - CEO of Truss (A Tool For Document Collection)
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

It is no secret that the accounting profession needs a fresh perspective after years of status quo.The Fun CPA podcast aims to bring exactly that. Fun, refreshing and unique perspective on a profession that needs it the most. The conversations I will bring to you will bring you and your firm value. We discuss pricing, firm management, technology, social media and mental health. The guests on the show range from small accounting firm owners to big firm partners to incredible mental health coaches to our profession and much much more. Give it a listen, the fresh perspective you been waiting on is here!

Information

  • Creator
    Yuri Kapilovich, CPA
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    85
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Fun CPA Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Fun CPA Podcast

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